June Conquest

[Harrogatesoul]

Had ' All I Need ' drop thru this week - besides completeing my Windy C label collection - according to Dave Rimmers' site (so wish there was more!) - Made me wonder about this gals stuff - Love the lazy vulnerable quality of 'Almost..' Am I missing any releases by her?

Whats This I See b/w No One Else (Curtom 8543)

All I Need b/w Take Care (Windy C 606)

Almost Persuaded b/w Part Talk (Fame 6406)

June & Donnie - Whats This I See b/w (Curtom 1935) ** Donnie Hathaway

June & Donnie - I Thank You b/w Just Another Reason (Curtom 1971)

Anyone for any more? Info about her? She seems (along with Donnie) to have been around the Chicago Soul scene a fair bit - ?

Anyone got a CURTOM discography?

ATB

Rich

[Guest martinsbox]

Had ' All I Need ' drop thru this week - besides completeing my Windy C label collection - according to Dave Rimmers' site (so wish there was more!) - Made me wonder about this gals stuff - Love the lazy vulnerable quality of 'Almost..' Am I missing any releases by her?

Whats This I See b/w No One Else (Curtom 8543)

All I Need b/w Take Care (Windy C 606)

Almost Persuaded b/w Part Talk (Fame 6406)

June & Donnie - Whats This I See b/w (Curtom 1935) ** Donnie Hathaway

June & Donnie - I Thank You b/w Just Another Reason (Curtom 1971)

Anyone for any more? Info about her? She seems (along with Donnie) to have been around the Chicago Soul scene a fair bit - ?

Anyone got a CURTOM discography?

ATB

Rich

A few bits.

BUTLER, BILLY.SHE'S GOT ME SINGING.CURTOM.FEEL THE MAGIC.ISS. 20CHANDLER, GENE.BABY I STILL LOVE YOU.CURTOM.ISS. 15CHANDLER, GENE.I STILL LOVE YOU.CURTOM./ 73UNDERSTAND.ISS. 20CLIFFORD, LINDA.RUNAWAY LOVE.CURTOM.ISS. 8CRAWFORD, LINDA.RUNAWAY LOVE.0CURTOM.ISS. 10JONES, RUBY.YOU BETTER RUN.CURTOM.ISS. 15LANCE, MAJOR.GYPSY WOMAN.CURTOM.STAY AWAY FROM ME.ISS. 10LANCE, MAJOR.LITTLE YOUNG LOVER.CURTOM.MUST BE LOVE COMING DOWN.ISS. 10MAYFIELD, CURTIS.IF THERE'S A HELL BELOW.CURTOM.ISS. 10MAYFIELD, CURTIS.MOVE ON UP.CURTOM.D.J. 50MAYFIELD, CURTIS.WE'RE A WINNER.CURTOM.ISS. 8NATURAL FOUR.YOU CAN'T KEEP RUNNING AWAY.CURTOM.ISS. 20HUTSON, LEROY.ELLA WEEZ.CURTOM. 0100COULD THIS BE LOVE.D.J. 25 ISS. 25NATURAL FOUR.WHILE YOU'RE AWAY.CURTOM. 0101Jan-75HEAVEN RIGHT HERE ON EARTH.ISS. 10JONES GIRLS.I TURN TO YOU.CURTOM. 0102/ 75MISTER ONE.ISS. 12IMPRESSIONS.SOONER OR LATER.CURTOM. 0103Mar-75MIRACLE WOMAN.NATURAL FOUR.LOVE'S SO WONDERFUL.CURTOM. 0104Jun-75WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.D.J. 15 ISS. 20IMPRESSIONS.I'M SO GLAD.CURTOM. 0106Sep-75THE SAME THING IT TOOK.JONES GIRLS.IF YOU DON'T LOVE ME NO MORE.CURTOM. 0108Jan-76HEY LUCINDA.D.J. 10IMPRESSIONS.FIRST IMPRESSIONS.CURTOM. 0110Jan-76LOVING POWER.HUTSON, LEROY. & FREE SPIRIT.FEEL THE SPIRIT.CURTOM. 0112/ 75NATURAL FOUR.IT'S THE MUSIC.CURTOM. 0114Mar-76INST.IMPRESSIONS.I WISHED I'D STAYED IN BED.CURTOM. 0116Apr-76SUNSHINE.HUTSON, LEROY.SO MUCH LOVE.CURTOM. 0117/ 76LOVERS HOLIDAY.NATURAL FOUR.NOTHING BEATS A FAILURE (BUT A TRY).CURTOM. 0119Jun-76FREE.ISS. 5INFINITY.FEEL THE MAGIC.CURTOM. 0120/ 76MAGIC GOT ME SINGING.HUTSON, LEROY.I DO, I DO (WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU).CURTOM. 0121/ 76DON'T IT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD.MYSTIQUE.WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE WITHOUT MUSIC.CURTOM. 0123Apr-77THIS TIME I'LL BE THE FOOL.ISS. 15MYSTIQUE.ALL OF MY LIFE.CURTOM. 0126Jul-77IS IT REALLY YOU.MYSTIQUE.IT TOOK A WOMAN LIKE YOU.CURTOM. 0130Oct-77SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY TO LOVE ME.MYSTIQUE.IT TOOK A WOMAN LIKE YOU. (long version 6:15)CURTOM. 0130 DJ/ 77IT TOOK A WOMAN LIKE YOU. (short version)HUTSON, LEROY.WHERE DID LOVE GO.CURTOM. 0134/ 78YOU'RE A WINNER.FIVE STAIRSTEPS & CUBIE.DON'T CHANGE YOUR LOVE.CURTOM. 1931Jul-68NEW DANCE CRAZE.IMPRESSIONS.FOOL FOR YOU.CURTOM. 1932Aug-68I'M LOVING NOTHING.FIVE STAIRSTEPS & CUBIE.STAY CLOSE TO ME.CURTOM. 1933/ 68I MADE A MISTAKE.ISS. 15IMPRESSIONS.THIS IS MY COUNTRY.CURTOM. 1934Nov-68MY WOMAN'S LOVE.ISS. 8JUNE & DONNIE.WHAT'S THIS I SEE.CURTOM. 1935/ 68I THANK YOU BABY.D.J. 15 ISS. 15FIVE STAIRSTEPS & CUBIE.LITTLE YOUNG LOVER.CURTOM. 1936Jan-69BABY MAKE ME FEEL SO GOOD.IMPRESSIONS.MY DECEIVING HEART.CURTOM. 1937Jan-69YOU WANT SOMEBODY ELSE.IMPRESSIONS.SEVEN YEARS.CURTOM. 1940Mar-69THE GIRL I FIND.MAXWELL, HOLLY.NO ONE ELSE.CURTOM. 1942/ 69SUFFER.ISS. 10IMPRESSIONS.CHOICE OF COLORS.CURTOM. 1943May-69MIGHTY, MIGHTY SPADE AND WHITEY.ISS. 10FIVE STAIRSTEPS & CUBIE.LITTLE BOY BLUE.CURTOM. 1944Jun-69MADAME MARY.FIVE STAIRSTEPS & CUBIE.LITTLE YOUNG LOVER.CURTOM. 1945Jun-69WE MUST BE IN LOVE.ISS. 10IMPRESSIONS.SAY YOU LOVE ME.CURTOM. 1946Sep-69YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MINE.IMPRESSIONS.WHEREVER YOU LEADETH ME.CURTOM. 1948Dec-69AMEN (1970).ISS. 15STRIDELLS.MIX IT UP.CURTOM. 19491Dec-69I REMEMBER CHRISTMAS.ISS. 20DILLARD, MOSES. & THE TEX-TOWN DISPLAY.

[Chalky]

June Conquest is both an extraordinary, and extraordinarily (and undeservedly) obscure soul singer. During the early '60s, she released a pair of singles, "Almost Persuaded" under her own name, and a duet with a man known only as the Demon on "The Only Way to Correct a Mistake (Is to Make One)." She was based in Houston around the time of the latter record, which, like its predecessor, failed to chart, and have since become choice collector's items. By 1966, Conquest was based in Chicago and signed to Curtis Mayfield's short-lived Windy C label, where she only cut one single, "Take Care." Mayfield obviously had a lot of faith in her ability, signing her to Curtom when he organized the company in 1968. Her single "What's This I See" was the first record ever issued by the new label and became a serious local hit in Chicago. Despite this encouraging start, however, Conquest's solo recording career never took off.

She next appeared a year later in a duet setting. The idea had been to team Conquest with Sam Cooke's brother L.C. Cooke, who was a pretty formidable soul singer in his own right, but he didn't make the sessions. Instead, Donny Hathaway, who had never before cut records outside the setting of the Mayfield Singers or as a backup singer on various Windy C and Curtom sides, stepped in. It was the start of an auspicious career, but not for Conquest. Donny & June, as they were billed, didn't tear the charts up with "I Thank You," "Just Another Reason," or their remake of "What's This I See," but the sound they got anticipated Hathaway's subsequent celebrated duets with Roberta Flack. Indeed, the single "I Thank You," which went almost unnoticed in 1969, finally came into its own three years later, reaching number 41 on the R&B listings and number 94 pop when it was reissued in the wake of Hathaway's success with Flack. It wasn't enough to rescue Conquest's recording career, however; she never cut another record and later gave up singing.

~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Edited September 9, 2006 by chalky